The introduction to the theme of the issue of AVCR gives the rationale for concentrating on aptitude-treatment interaction research and summarizes and comments on the contribution of each author. (Author)

Author suggests a number of strategies for constructing a taxonomy that would take into account media, individual differences, and behaviors. (Author/HB)

Discusses new theories of feedback which suggest that all students may not benefit from immediate, positive feedback, depending on their level of ability and the difficulty of the task. Cognitive interpretations of feedback research are reviewed, including motivation to learn, and applications to instructional design are presented. (LRW)

Reconstructing media research so that generalizable knowledge can be produced requires an increased emphasis on attributes of media which interact with individual differences to effect learning. In order to accomplish this, media researchers must make a distinction between research "with" media and research "on" media. Privious efforts to…

This review of research on the achievement/enjoyment relationship cites evidence from aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) studies suggesting that students tend to like the instructional method from which they learn the least. High ability students prefer more structured and directive methods, but learn best from more open and permissive…

Explores assumptions about student ability that underlie current instructional software design and the possibility that a behaviorist bias influences software design strategies; offers evidence that a behaviorist instructional strategy helps low-ability and hinders high-ability students; presents a contrasting instructional approach; and reviews…

Reviews cognitive research related to computer-based instruction in the areas of motivation; the relationship between computer-assisted instruction and learning; learner control; transfer of learning; hemispheric dominance; and anxiety. Design professionals are urged to consider congitive views. (MBR)

Instructional research is reviewed where teaching failures have produced students who seem to be less able to use learning skills or had less access to knowledge in some domain than before they were taught. Three general types of "mathemathantic" (i.e. where instruction "kills" learning) effects are hypothesized, theoretical…